Darkstone Code

Chapter 1117 - 1115: A Lifetime’s Toil for Wealth

On the calm lake, there wasn’t a breath of wind, and the small boat quietly stayed at the center of the lake.

No one knows they’re meeting here... well, that’s what they tell themselves, but in reality, the members of the Security Committee know they’re meeting here, at least Austin knows it.

She knows it, which means the Security Committee knows it, which means the Ministry of Defense knows it, but it doesn’t matter. Lynch doesn’t care whether those people know or not because they’re "his people."

At least on this matter, they are his people.

Any country’s development requires a great amount of money, to put it bluntly, development equals spending money.

Only by constantly spending money can society develop. If a country’s government doesn’t have money, then that country can’t talk about development.

Of course, having money but the government being unwilling to spend it results in the same outcome.

The Federation Government is willing to spend money; in recent years, various annual budgets have exceeded twenty to thirty billion, and this year it’s surpassed fifty billion. Maybe next year or the year after will continue to break through.

This has brought significant financial pressure to the Federation Government. Actually, sometimes governments also do business, but many people don’t quite understand how governments do business.

In their impression, a country’s government doesn’t seem to have any means of profiting through operations. Is it the monopoly of certain resources or goods by the state?

Or perhaps... some other kind of public-private business?

No, those who think like this can only say their understanding of the world is not at such a high level. In fact, if the government wants to make money, it’s quite simple; they just need to use policies and taxes.

What happens when a country that mainly trades through resource exports suddenly announces a reduction in export quantities or removes the export license for a significant and highly demanded resource?

Simple, the prices of these resources will instantly surge. The greater society’s demand for these resources, the faster their prices in the international market will rise.

This is essentially no different from rare mines blowing up their own mines; the outcome is the same: reduced supply, constant demand, increased prices.

It’s just now, that it’s done by the nation.

With the price of scarce resources increasing and holding the distribution rights to these resources, the government possesses "commodities," which they can negotiate with other countries, companies, organizations, or individuals.

But they’re not selling these "commodities" through bargaining; instead, they impose special tariffs.

You want it, no problem, but you have to pay more taxes or give me what I want.

This is the trade between nations, it seems like... there’s not so much stark naked money involved, but in reality, nations are doing business too.

It’s just that from the nation’s perspective, they’re often dealing with gigantic powers, like other countries and the like.

Of course, these business methods are not just limited to resources but also include areas like technology.

That’s also why in the futures market, no matter how powerful an institution or even a dealer, their ability to intervene in market behavior is not as great as a small country.

After all, compared to the country, there’s some gap in their influence and economic capability.

When Gafura was at its peak, they continuously plundered externally, using the plundered wealth to accelerate the development of Gafura’s Main Island, turning it into one of the strongest Empires in the world.

Any country that wants to develop must have money.

The Federation has money and doesn’t fear spending it, but it would be even better if they could save a little.

Suppose the Federation Government wants to make money to ease the heavy budget, what’s the best way to do it?

Undoubtedly, just sniping silver with Lynch.

They only need to issue some investigation announcements and announce one or two policies, no matter how high the current price of silver is, they can instantly destroy the price support for silver!

Do you think this is an individual’s conspiracy?

No, this is national conduct!

With Lynch’s lobbying, the Federation Government and the six major banks are secretly suppressing gold with him, planning to absorb at the bottom, then suppress silver and raise gold.

The Federation Government’s behavior this time is not targeting silver or Charlie siblings, as Lynch convinced Mr. Truman to see the value of Federation Sol becoming an international settlement currency.

For the Federation... even if some small people are sacrificed, it’s definitely worthwhile!

Having a country backing him, Lynch isn’t concerned at all with the "danger" Pato talked about. He even takes the initiative to get rid of those people, and the Federation Government will protect him.

This is a barbaric era. Even the Federation, even Gafura, they’re actually just barbarians dressed in the guise of civilization; they haven’t completely evolved into civilized humans in a civilized society!

When the Federation Government sees where the benefits are, people will remove their garments and plunder wildly influenced by this great consciousness!

Mr. Pato looks seriously at Lynch, thinking for a long time, "Besides you, is there anyone else?"

Lynch shook his head, "No one else."

Mr. Pato, after a long thought, seems to have made some decision, but he didn’t immediately show it.

"Judging from some recent signs, you seem to already have a full set of plans and have started implementing them?"

"I don’t deny..." Lynch takes out a cigarette and lights one, "but I also won’t admit."

Mr. Pato looked at the young man, his rigid and serious expression softened a bit; anyone encountering such a person cannot maintain their emotions indefinitely.

"So... include me?"

After listening, Lynch returned the words he had said to himself, "It’s dangerous; you’ll be against the whole world, you know?"

"Those big mine owners who have killed countless miner slaves, those big capitalists, and crazy speculators, they will think about killing you!"

Mr. Pato shook his head and asked back with Lynch’s previous words and attitude, "Is this more important than making money?"

"Moreover... I believe you will be as magical as before!"

Half an hour later, both parties left the artificial lake from different places after using time to deepen and confirm their cooperative relationship.

Sitting in the car, Lynch thought about what Mr. Pato said and couldn’t help but laugh and curse, "Old fox."

A real old fox.

Actually, Lynch could guess that Mr. Pato had already realized silver might reach its limit; even if no one touches it, it will soon have problems.

Some have set twenty dollars as the endpoint of silver victory, but people often ignore that the endpoint is often the new starting point, and this is still the starting point of failure.

Silver’s output is far greater than gold; more importantly, those big mine owners can’t always hold back on shipments, for example... Mr. Pato.

Mr. Pato, or the Akiner Clan, has several silver mines in the Federation, Nagariel, and surrounding areas.

Previously, due to rapid silver price growth, coupled with Charlie’s siblings actively speculating on silver, everyone was tacitly stockpiling.

Now the Akiner Clan’s warehouses have heaps of silver ingots!

They must face a choice; if they don’t consider selling these silvers at high points, then once silver avalanches, these silver prices might shrink in an instant to one-tenth of its current value, or even less!

Tenfold wealth disparity is enough to make many people die many times over!

Mr. Pato seems to plan not to abide by their "tacit agreement" anymore or say he doesn’t want to be the one who can’t escape; he plans to "break the rules."

But if he’s the only one breaking the rules, then many people will view him and the Akiner Clan as players who don’t follow the rules; they will retaliate against the Akiner Clan.

So Mr. Pato urgently needs someone to stand up and be the reason for shirking responsibility.

For example... it was Lynch who initiated it!

This reason is good; he just saw the crisis of silver avalanche, so for self-preservation, he can only liquidate, it’s not his fault.

This reason is so perfect that he can even reprimand Lynch from the "victim’s" standpoint for "breaking rules," causing him huge losses!

Lynch saw through this from the beginning; twenty dollars is a dividing line, or twenty dollars is the sound of the starting gun.

Before the gunshot, many like Mr. Pato thought too much, and no one wanted to stand up and become the common enemy of hundreds of billion-dollar funds, those capitalists and speculators bleeding money indeed dare to kill!

And this also became a tacit understanding; those speculating silver almost all knew silver would collapse, yet they just didn’t say, and even wanted to tell the public silver would certainly keep rising.

They’re all waiting, waiting for that gunshot!

When the gunshot rings, who can run away and who can’t all depend on the Lord’s attitude.

This is gambling, not a capitalist’s capital operation!

Mr. Pato isn’t a gambler; he’s a capitalist; he seeks maximum interest, not gambling on that moment of heartbeat!

For Lynch, whether or not Mr. Pato participates, actually doesn’t matter much.

With him, controlling the timing and speed of silver collapse can be more refined.

Without him, it’s just slightly less accurate, but the general direction won’t change.

Since it’s the same either way, Lynch sold a favor.

A favor is valuable, more valuable than money!

Of course, this kind of valuable premise is related to the circumstances when the party uses favor.

A newly joined Federation Government text copyist might only have... twenty dollars worth of favor.

But the favor in the President’s hands could influence a country for him!

Returning to Bupen City, pedestrians on the roadside are all discussing the sudden gold slump; Lynch casually found an outdoor café by the roadside to buy some newspapers.

Almost most newspapers are discussing this matter; the sudden gold slump leaves people at a loss, though this situation has occurred before.

Sometimes gold also falls but quickly rises back.

However, this time seems different; multiple countries announced abandoning reserve gold, causing gold’s trend to keep going downward, as if there’s no end in sight!